Celine Walker Is The 4th Trans Woman Murdered In The U.S. Since January

A trans woman was murdered in Florida earlier this month, making her the fourth known transgender person killed in the U.S. this year.

Celine Walker, a 36-year-old trans woman of color, was killed in Jacksonville, Flordia and misgendered by police and local media. Friends and advocates worked to ensure that her story was told.https://t.co/9NtNsvCRRU pic.twitter.com/1cTZqpYsjs

Transgender advocate Monica Roberts alleges the department “[has] a policy that it does not refer to victims as transgender.”

On Facebook, Walker’s friend Naomi Michaels expressed her outrage over authorities’ lack of sensitivity. “You’d think that this city could have some type of policy for dealing with the death and murder of trans people. They don’t.”

She described Walker as someone who “lived a low key life [and] did whatever needed to be done in order for her to survive.”

In 2017, at least 27 transgender women were murdered in the U.S., the vast majority of whom, like Walker, were trans women of color.

Zachary Zane is a writer and activist whose work focuses on sexuality, culture, and academic research. He has contributed to The Washington Post, Rolling Stone, and The Advocate.